Norway, Iowa (January 6, 2009) — Frontier Natural Products Co-op™, a leading U.S. manufacturer of natural and organic products, has tapped Bart Becherer as Director of Sales — Private Label. Becherer will lead the newly created private-label division to provide organic spices, seasonings, and baking flavors to store-brand retailers.

Remarking on the addition of Becherer to the private-label team, Bill Porter, Vice President of Sales for Frontier Natural Products Co-op, states, “Bart’s success as a private-label product manager for Topco give him the first-hand knowledge and experience that store-brand category buyers need and want to help them develop a successful organic private-label program.”

Becherer has extensive background in the private-label sector, including twenty years at Topco, LLC, (the nation’s largest private-label cooperative) and American Colloid Company. His expertise includes executive positions in packaging, product and sales management and management of private-label broker networks.

Becherer will join longtime Frontier veteran, Lana Miller, National Sales Director, in providing a one-two punch for quickly growing private-label sales. “As a result of the combination of strengths and experience both Bart and Lana bring to bear, Frontier can customize product sets for retailers to meet regional customer demands and individual market preferences,” notes Porter.

Frontier is especially well-positioned to support the growth of private-label organic spices because of the quality of organic raw materials it purchases through Well Earth®, its ethical and sustainable sourcing program. “A key reason retailers are focusing on organic store-brand spices is that consumers are prioritizing sustainable and socially responsible products, whether through our Well Earth program or the Fair-Trade Certified™ products we sell,” adds Porter.

Frontier was the first certified organic spice company in the U.S. and is the number-one supplier of bottled organic spices in the U.S. In addition, Frontier recently received a ‘Superior’ rating from AIB (American Institute of Baking). “When you factor in Frontier’s expertise with organic products, our rapid turnaround, and superior in-house label design capabilities, we are best positioned to make retailers’ private-label seasonings a success,” concludes Porter.

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Frontier Natural Products Co-op™
Founded in 1976 and based in Norway, Iowa, Frontier Natural Products Co-op™ offers a full line of natural and organic products under the Frontier, Simply Organic®, Aura Cacia® and Aura Cacia Organics® brands. Products include culinary herbs, spices and baking flavors; bulk herbs and spices; and natural and organic aromatherapy products. Frontier's goal is to provide consumers with the highest-quality organic and natural products while supporting and promoting social and environmental responsibility. For more information, visit Frontier's website at www.frontiercoop.com.